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Bias Incident or Bias Crime Policy

Reporting, Investigating, and Disseminating Information of Bias/Hate Related Incidents and Bias/Hate Related Crimes

Original Issue Date: 1/20/1994

Revision Date(s): August 2010

Issued by: President’s Cabinet

Approved by: President’s Cabinet

Monmouth University, consistent with its Human Relations Philosophy and Policy Statement, sets forth the following policy regarding the reporting, investigating, and dissemination of information of bias/hate incidents and bias/hate crimes. The University, in accordance with federal and state regulations, will attempt to protect the rights of its campus community members to work and study in an environment free from all forms of bias/hate incidents and bias/hate crimes.

Definition

A Bias/Hate Related Incident is any suspected or confirmed offense or unlawful act that occurs to a person or private property on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity. An offense is bias based if the motive for the commission of the offense or unlawful act pertains to race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity. Not all Bias/Hate Related Incidents are Bias Crimes. A Bias or Hate Crime is a criminal offense against a person or property, which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against any of the above-mentioned characteristics.

Under the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice, a Bias/Hate Related Crime (Bias Intimidation Crime 2C:16-1) occurs if a person commits, conspires with another to commit, or threatens to commit certain enumerated crimes (1) with the purpose to intimidate an individual or group of individuals because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity; or (2) knowing that the conduct constituting the offense would cause an individual or group of individuals to be intimidated because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity; or (3) under circumstances that caused any victim of the underlying offense to be intimidated.

Procedure

Whenever there is an occurrence of an act of bias/hate or intolerance involving the University community on or off-campus, the procedures listed below should be followed. These procedures are meant to be general guidelines for actions to help maximize the safety and well being of the affected individuals, the well being of the community, and to disseminate information regarding the incident to the campus community as soon as possible.

  1. An individual or group who discovers, witnesses, or learns of an event that appears to be a bias incident or hate crime shall immediately notify the University Police at x4444.
  2. Write down as much information as possible to document what was discovered, witnessed or learned.
  3. Be available to speak with the appropriate authority about the incident.
  4. Every case investigated by the University Police as a bias incident or bias crime is done with the assistance and under the supervision of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. A Bias Incident Offense Report is submitted to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Bias Crime Unit and the NJ Division of Criminal Justice of Bias Crime and Community Relations. When necessary, a follow up investigation is conducted by the Monmouth University Detective Bureau with assistance from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office if needed.
  5. The University Police will notify the appropriate Area Vice President (s) of the incident.
  6. The appropriate Area Vice President will notify and/or convene with others in the administration as warranted by the incident. Discussion should include any appropriate action that should occur including whether information regarding the incident must be immediately disseminated to the campus community.

Awareness and Communication

Monmouth University through various means, described below, will make every effort to inform members of the Campus Community about what you can do to help stop hate and to disseminate, in a timely manner, information regarding Campus Incidents of Bias and Hate Crimes:

  1. Presidential communication each semester that includes a summary of bias incidents/crimes occurring in the preceding semester.
  2. Create a link under Safety and Security Information on the Monmouth University Police Department homepage for Bias/Hate Incident Reporting which will provide information on reporting a bias/hate incident or bias/hate crime.
  3. Increase Outlook attention to these issues to include reporting procedures.
  4. Encourage greater participation in the annual diversity training.
  5. Make attached brochures and others available throughout Campus.
  6. Include Bias/Hate Related Incident and Crime Reporting information on the attached poster and post campus-wide.
  7. Encourage use of attached websites for information.

This policy will continue to be reviewed and revised as conditions warrant. Monmouth University appreciates the collaboration of the entire campus community in creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all.